Film Close-ups on KALX 90.7 FM

01/13/2024

We’ve got back to back interviews on Saturday’s show!
First up, we welcome LGBTQ film historian Jenni Olson to discuss the film series “Masc” she has guest curated for Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive, which begins on Jan 19.
In the second half of the show we will be talking with Judy Irving and Mark Bittner about the 20th anniversary re-release of “The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill” which screens at the Roxie Theater and the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center this weekend.

The true story of a bohemian North Beach Saint Francis, and how he made a colorful flock of friends.

THE WILD PARROTS OF TELEGRAPH HILL, newly restored in all its glory, starts this weekend, with special guests in person Friday and Saturday: https://bit.ly/ParrotsHill

10/28/2023

We will be talking Doc Stories on a special extra-long edition of Film Closeups starting at 5 pm today on KALX 90.7 FM, Berkeley.

Doc Stories returns with a joyous bang, presenting Matthew Heineman’s American Symphony, a profound and nuanced film about Grammy-winning musician, singer, and songwriter Jon Batiste. The documentary showcase is anchored by the Centerpiece presentation of Copa 71, a stunning archival excavation of...

10/20/2023

Tune in to KALX 90.7 FM tomorrow at 5:30 pm to hear an interview with Benoit Charest, composer of the film score for The Triplets of Bellville, playing as part of CalPerformances' 2023-2024 season. Live cine-concerts are happening Saturday night and Sunday afternoon at Zellerbach Hall on the UC Berkeley campus!

Posted on October 16, 2023 Event Date: Saturday, October 21, 2023 - 5:30pmOn Saturday, October 21st @ 5:30PM, Film Close Ups hosts, Gregory Scharpen & Chris Michel speak with Canadian composer, Benoît Charest, ahead of the Cal Performances Cine-Concert of The Triplets of Belleville on October 21st...

06/15/2023

🤦🏻‍♀️

The Landmark Albany Twin on Solano Avenue, which has been operating for over 80 years, is the latest local movie house closing its curtains.

05/31/2023

Don't miss opening night of SF DocFest 2023 at the Roxie Theater tomorrow, June 1! Both films are bangers: first up at 6:30 pm, the incredibly moving "26.2 to Life" which shows the transformative power of a running club at San Quentin; following that at 8:45 pm, the life and times of Oakland's own Fantastic Negrito are featured in "Have You Lost Your Mind Yet?". Tickets are available through sfindie.com or roxie.com, though it appears "26.2 to Life" is at rush, so your best bet for tickets is at the box office tomorrow evening. Many films in the festival will also be available to stream for the duration of the festival.

OPENING NIGHT FILM Filmed inside California’s oldest state prison, 26.2 to Life explores the transformative power of San Quentin’s 1000 Mile Club, in which incarcerated men train for and run a marathon on the dirt and concrete path circling the prison yard.

05/05/2023

There's another important petition to sign to save the fixed seating at the Castro Theatre!

TELL THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO SAVE THE CASTRO THEATRE & SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY PLAN! Send a letter using this form or customize a message of your own! Details below! THE COMMUNITY PLAN WOULD: Activate the Castro Theatre for 365 days per year with 2-3 events per day Be implemented within 60 days of...

04/27/2023

IMPORTANT UPDATE from the Castro Theatre Conservancy:

Alternate plan for operating the Castro Theatre proposes full activation within 60 days, 2-3 events 365 days per year, and $20-40m in renovations.

04/13/2023

Tune in this Saturday at 5:30 pm when we interview filmmaker Mary Harron (American Psycho, I Shot Andy Warhol) and John Walsh about their latest film "DALILAND" playing as part of this year's SFFILM. They'll be doing a Q&A following a 7:45 pm screening of the film at the Pacific Film Archive later that night.

BAMPFA's second-feature discount does not apply to SFFILM programs.Tickets are nonrefundable and may not be exchanged.SFFILM vouchers may not be redeemed in person at BAMPFA.

03/03/2023

On tomorrow's Film Close-ups, we'll have special guests Skinner and Ross Kennedy talking about their planned stop-motion animation horror project SHRINE OF ABOMINATIONS!! The project is currently seeking funding through Kickstarter.
KALX 90.7 FM
5:30 pm
Saturday, March 4

Stop-motion horror fantasy epic from renowned visionary artist Skinner, and stop-motion monster master, Ross Kennedy!

02/17/2023

On tomorrow's Film Close-ups, we'll be joined by Emily Jane White in advance of the screening of Quinn Costello's new documentary short "Alluvion: Recordings from a Closet" on Feb 23 at The Lost Church in SF. The short film is itself an examination of Emily's process of recording the album "Alluvion" over zoom during lockdown.

Tune in to KALX 90.7 FM at 5:30 pm Saturday, Feb 18!!

02/10/2023

On tomorrow's Film Close-ups, we'll be talking a bit about this year's Mostly British Film Festival taking place at the Vogue Theatre. But you should probably check out the line-up now since lots of great films are playing before we'll even be on the air, including tomorrow's Paul Mescal double feature of "Aftersun" and "God's Creatures" and a documentary about Mary Quant!

Series passes available at Vogue Theater box office. Check the Vogue Theater website for information on buying individual tickets and series passes.

02/03/2023

KALX is starting to dip their toes into archiving shows for a two week time period following their air date. You can currently check out the previous two episodes of Film Close-ups, including our interview with Mark Capelle and Dina Maccabee from Red Room Orchestra on 1/28, in case you missed them when they aired! Just click the link below.

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01/28/2023

If my intel is correct, we’ll be hosting Beth Lisick and members of Red Room Orchestra tomorrow! 5:30 pm 90.7 FM

01/21/2023

Today’s Film Close-ups will feature some of us talking about “Women Talking” (amongst other things). Also, a heads up that Noir City 20 has begun at the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland! Tune in to KALX 90.7 FM at 5:30 pm or listen online at kalx.berkeley.edu.

Noir City Film Festival, presented by the Film Noir Foundation and hosted by Eddie Muller

01/07/2023

We’re back on the air this evening with our first Film Close-ups of 2023. There’s a bunch of new films to talk about, including The Menu, Living, Wildcat and Emily the Criminal. We’re also looking forward to this new film series starting at the PFA - Cinema of the Absurd! Tune in to KALX 90.7 FM at 5:30 pm today.

A series of stark, scathing, and playful films from the former socialist republics of Eastern Europe, where absurdity was a fact of life under authoritarian rule—and a source of cinematic creativity.

12/09/2022

Tomorrow’s show will feature an interview with Clark Young, co-writer and co-director of REMEMBER THIS: THE LESSON OF JAN KARSKI, currently playing over at the Berkeley Rep, and soon to be released in movie form in select cities nationwide. Tune in to at 90.7 on your FM dial or via the web at kalx.berkeley.edu at 5:30 pm Saturday, 12/10.

"Strathairn delivers an expert performance, but it is also an unshowy one, never calling attention to itself at the expense of the content." — The New York Times

New York Times Critics' Pick REMEMBER THIS is at Berkeley Rep December 2–18! Don't miss searingly relevant theatrical experience ➡️ https://bit.ly/RememberThisBRT

📸: Rich Hein

11/12/2022

There is no Film Close-ups broadcast today, but we didn’t want to miss a chance to mention the Arab Film Festival which opened yesterday in venues around the Bay. The lineup includes excellent films of all kinds, including next Saturday’s encore screening of the opening night film “The Blue Caftan” and a screening today of the very unusual documentary “Miguel’s War”. Also heartily recommend “The Desert Rocker”, screening tomorrow at the New Parkway, about pioneering Gnawa musician Hasna El Becharia. Next weekend, let “Little Palestine, Diary of a Siege” break your heart at the Roxie.

The Nation's Oldest and Largest Festival of Arab Films The flagship event of the Arab Film and Media Institute, the Arab Film Festival is the longest running independent festival of its kind in North America. Launched in 1996, the festival's mission is to present the best of contemporary films that....

10/31/2022

This year's FALL FUNRAZOR is underway! You may not hear as much about it on the air as you're used to, but it is the 60th anniversary of KALX and we still desperately need your help to stay on the air and keep things running smoothly at our station, especially now that we've returned to live, in-studio broadcasts! You can find out more at kalx.berkeley.edu and see this year's thank-you gifts, including this design on our t-shirt.

It's time to celebrate KALX's 60th Anniversary! Donate and get special anniversary swag as thank you gifts starting tonight at midnight! The fundraiser will be active through November. Please support your KALX, we love you! ❤️ ❤️ Our white t-shirt design for this fall comes from Loren Salas Thomas. A message from Loren:

"As a musician and lover of radio, KALX’s weird and wild programming made me feel at home when I arrived in Oakland a decade ago, drawn from So Cal by the East Bay’s music/art scene. To my ears, KALX hacks away at all expectations with a sincerity that benefits everyone who tunes in, anywhere, anytime.

Channeling KALX’s untamable energy, I had this design vision of a chainsaw sparking off a portable radio. My friend restores old chainsaws and his enthusiasm is infectious, so I based the chainsaw on one of his favorite 'lil rippers.' I used bold printmaking colors to throw a contemporary style onto the vintage objects, zapping them to life. Thank you, everyone at KALX!"

Thank you Loren! We can't wait to see these shirts sported all around town!

http://ow.ly/EF3e50Lp7Mh

10/25/2022

We'll be talking about the new documentary "Cat Daddies" on this week's show, and airing an interview Greg did with director Mye Hoang. But you have a chance to attend Q&A screenings at the Roxie on 10/28 and 10/29 before our show even airs!! Q&As that include actual CATS (and their daddies). 😻

Fri Oct 28 @ 6:45pm (Mye Hoang, Jeff Judkins and Zulu, David Durst and Tora the Trucker Cat) Following Q&A, After Pawty at Bond Bar presented by Meowtel the #1 cat sitting app. Sat Oct 29 @ 3:3…

10/08/2022

We will be featuring an interview with filmmakers from Pleistocene Park on today’s Film Closeups!! Also, we are pleased to announce the (too brief) return of Geralyn Hurney to tonight’s show, where she and Esme will talk about the plethora of film festival action going on right now. Tune in 5:30 pm, 90.7 FM OR on the webs at kalx.berkeley.edu.

09/26/2022

These movies are classics. In fact, "South" is one of the most incredible silent films you will ever see. STRONGLY ENCOURAGE people to take advantage of this set of screenings!!